Q: Tell us about yourself?

03rd May, 2019

If you’ve reached interview stage for a sales role, first up – congratulations!

So, you’ve researched the company, you’ve read up on their competitors, you feel like you know the role and you really want this job. You sit down, ready to impress by dropping in and sharing your newly gained knowledge and the first question they drop is: “Tell us about yourself…”

Your prospective employer wants to be shown that you have the ability to “sell” yourself, not just their products/services. They want you to convince them that you’re the right person for the role.

Remember to see this question as an opportunity to impress from the get-go. It gives you a great basis to say the right things.

This is a common interview question. One you can expect and one you should prepare for. Here, an interviewer simply wants to evaluate what sort of person you are and get a sense of what you can bring to the table as a professional and as a part of the team.

You don’t need to overshare or try to force an answer, take a pause and a breath and consider a few key points that make you think you’re the right fit.

Prior to the interview:

Make a note of the skills most vital to the job.

Think about how traits of your personality can fit into the role.

Note down your top 3 personable skills and your top 3 professional skills and keep a mental note of these.

Think about your career progression.

Once you have an idea of what you can bring to the table, prepare your elevator pitch and tailor it to the specific position you are interviewing for. Use it to your advantage and show the hiring manager that you’re prepared and that you know your stuff.

To do this, you need to consider and mentally note what you would say in approx 3 minutes (maximum). Start with where you are now as a professional, then briefly explain your professional journey and educational basis that helped you get to this point. In this part, make sure to focus on all your relevant experience and skills that make you a great fit for this position.

Next up, move on to the future, mention where you are heading and what your ambitions are. Then top it all off with who you are as a person and why you’d be a good person to be around and to have in the team.